The castle felt too big and far too quiet, which was never a good sign.
Malvoria, fresh from her sisterly wrestling match and a mostly peaceful stretch of babysitting, was sprawled on a rug near the window.
Sunlight made wild patterns across the stone floor, and a gentle spring breeze danced in, carrying the faint scent of the orchard.
She would have called it relaxing, except that Lara was determined to make Aliyah smile, and Aliyah bless her new and fiercely stubborn soul had apparently sworn a solemn vow never to do so.
Lara was pulling faces, making strange cooing sounds, and waving a battered stuffed bat in the air with all the grace of a berserk magician.
Aliyah, not even a month old and already the most unimpressed person Malvoria had ever met, responded with a majestic scowl, followed by a stream of baby babble and a bubble of spit.
"Come on, little shadow, just one smile. Your cousin Kaelith was grinning at this age," Lara pleaded, making her cheeks puff out.
